


Misguided Belief of Misfits

by doctornineandthreequarters



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Boarding School, High School, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Teen Angst, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:41:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25040296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctornineandthreequarters/pseuds/doctornineandthreequarters
Summary: We all have these beliefs of who were are and who were meant to be. But what we learn as we go through tough times, is those beliefs are very often misguided.---When sixteen-year-old Melody Martin's life changes suddenly, she doesn't welcome the change. She hopes to keep her head down and make as little waves as possible. But life doesn't always go the way you plan.
Relationships: Original Character(s) & Original Character(s), Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is an original story that I've been working on for a very long time. I started writing it in 2014 on an airplane to Los Angeles and have been steadily working on it ever since. I actually lost it about a year ago and had to restart the whole after I accidentally wiped my whole computer (a story for another time). As much as this story is important to me, I sometimes struggle with it. I always get stuck on continuing it and I thought maybe posting some of it here would push me in the right direction. 
> 
> Basically, I need to know if this is any good. 
> 
> So thank you, in advance, for reading it. I hope it's as good as I want it to be.

I didn’t speak the whole way there. That felt like a gift to them.

Trees and smatterings of buildings passed by the windows as the car cruised down the highway. Well, cruised was the wrong word. My father had a tendency of driving just above the speed limit. Nothing that he could get a ticket for, but it always concerned my mother. I glanced from the window to the front seat where they were. My mother’s hand was wrapped around the handle above the window. She had a death grip on it and I wondered if her knuckles would turn white from her grip. Growing up, I thought that was its purpose, for people to hold. I learned very quickly that that was just my mother’s neurosis.

“Slow down Roger,” My mother hissed. Her gentle layer of makeup couldn’t hide the stress seeping across her features.

“Caroline.” His tone was that of a warning. It meant he didn’t want to hear anything else from her. Then again, for the last few months, he didn’t want to hear much from anyone. His blue eyes, usually those of kindness, were more like ice, especially when he spoke. He gave my mother a quick chilly look and her hand released the handle. I sighed to myself and glanced back out the window.

It was moments like these that their decision for me wasn’t too hard to stomach.

I took in the passing trees, the mirage of green whipping by the windows. The view was unfamiliar to me. There were no recognizable landmarks or scenery. But then again, I couldn’t remember the last time I went to the airport. We weren’t a family of travelers. And if we did, it was by car. My father preferred to be in charge of his travel and how he got there. He said it was diligent. I just thought it was controlling. But the airport was where we were heading.

I was the only one traveling.

I had been too numb to acknowledge the decision originally. I was only sixteen. My parents were the ones in charge of major decisions for me. That was their jobs as parents. When I finally realized what was happening, I just didn’t care enough to argue. It felt like I was being shipped off, but I didn’t express that to them. They wouldn’t have listened. They claimed they were doing this for me. But they were doing it for themselves just as much.

I was about to shove headphones into my ears, to tune out all the noise, when I noticed my mother staring at me. She had slightly turned around in her seat to do so. Her brown eyes, similar to mine, stared vacantly at me. It had startled me at first at how vacant she could look. My mother had always been known for her expressive nature. She had made a career out of it. But that hadn’t been the case the last few months.

“Do you want us to stop for food Melody?” The ride to the airport wasn’t terribly long. I didn’t know why she was putting off the inevitable. This had been their idea after all. I just stared back at her, not saying anything. She sighed and I shoved the headphones into my ears. I refrained from starting the music as she turned back around.

“She’s not going to make friends like that,” My mother said, a softness to her voice.

“That’s not really our problem.” I rolled my eyes at my father’s response before pressing play on shuffle. As the music carried my thoughts away, I glanced back out at the window, letting the view of blurry trees distract me from anything else.

* * *

When we reached the airport, my father drove right to the drop-off section. I fought back an eye-roll realizing they weren’t even going to park or accompany me in. It was clear to me they just wanted to get rid of me. As soon as the car stopped, I was outside and pulling my belongings with me. I removed the headphones and let them hang limply from my neck.

“You have your ticket?” My mother asked, the window to the front seat down. I just held up my phone and she sighed. “The rest of your belongings are already there.”  _ How organized of you _ , I couldn’t help but think. They had shipped my stuff off and weren’t coming with me inside the airport. Parents of the year, clearly. “Text us when you land, okay?”

“Caroline, we have to go,” My father said, eyeing the traffic cop waving them down. He didn’t even look at me, which was fine by me. I started to turn to go, when my mother caught my arm.

“Good luck sweetie,” She said, her voice warm, like honey. It reminded me of how she sounded before, unlike how it had been before these horrific last few months. I looked down at her hand, wondering what I should say. A million words danced on my tongue, some of anger, some of sadness, and some of defeat. But nothing came out. So, I just stepped backwards and her hand dropped. I then turned and headed into the airport. I couldn’t control much else at the time, but I could leave first. I didn’t turn back until I was inside the airport. I looked back at the road and saw the car was gone. I sighed, unsurprised, and kept walking.

* * *

I stayed silent the whole time I was in the airport. No one found any need to talk to me, which certainly helped. I just kept my headphones in and my head down. People were milling around the airport, looking at overpriced candy in the shops or debating whether or not they needed a massage before they sat in an uncomfortable seat for five hours. I just made my way to my gate. I wanted out of there. If my parents wanted me to be exiled, then I wanted it to truly begin. 

As I waited for boarding announcements, I couldn’t help but stare at my shoes. The black converse were a little old, but not so worn out that I couldn’t make them last for at least another calendar year. There was a small star doodle on the toe of the right shoe. It always surprised me how durable shoes were. You walked all over them all day and they just lasted and lasted. They protected you and kept you moving forward. I gulped, a feeling coming over me that I thought I had dispelled, and looked away from my shoes. 

They were just stupid shoes after all.

Boarding announcements began shortly and before I knew it, I was on the plane and in my seat. I had the window seat, so I quickly situated myself in the seat. I switched my phone to airplane mood and put the headphones in my ears. 

It was a five hour flight to New York and I planned to be asleep for all of it. I wanted to drift off into a world of dreams where nothing could reach me, where my thoughts were my own and weren’t judged or used against me. I wanted to be alone. As my eyes drifted shut, the music carrying me away, I sighed, almost contentedly, glad my wish might actually come true. 

But that wasn’t what happened. 

A jostling on my arm woke me up. I looked around, confused and disoriented. From the window, I could see we were in the air, but I didn’t know for how long. I turned to my other side to see a girl, about my age staring at me. She had bright hazel eyes that eyed me with interest. Her long blonde hair fell perfectly at the sides of her face. I realized she must have woken me up and removed my headphones to understand why on earth anyone would do that.

“The flight attendant wants to know if you want anything,” I stared at the girl before glancing at the flight attendant, who had an apologetic look on her face. I sighed, though it probably sounded more like a huff and shook my head. The flight attendant nodded and continued on her way. I leaned back against my seat, ready to fall back into my, mostly, peaceful dreams, when my nosy neighbor spoke again. 

“So where ya heading?” I gave her a look, wondering why I was punished with a seat neighbor with an overly cheery disposition and clearly limited social skills. “I’m going to New York. Not the city though. I wish I could see New York City. God, that would be amazing. Are you going to New York City?”

I stared at this girl, who was just staring at me, head slightly tilted, as she waited for my response. I was sure someone would’ve probably found her demeanor charming; I just found it annoying. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts. Was that so hard to understand?

“Not much of a talker, huh?” She asked and I just continued to stare at her, that vacant expression I had seemingly borrowed from my mother ever present. “That’s okay. I bet you’re a great listener.” And then she just started talking. About everything. I wanted to be annoyed, frustrated even, but there was something so admirable about her just jumping into conversation. The cheery lilt of her voice wasn’t horrible and I found myself getting pulled into listening. After all, she couldn’t talk for the whole flight, could she?

* * *

Angie was, in fact, someone who could talk for the whole flight. She had, in her very long winding conversation to me, told me her name was Angela. She said she went by Angie because it just fit her better. I had to admit that Angie fit her sunny disposition well as her little and bright voice. She reminded me of a kitten; small, a tiny voice, and a little too eager to please.

When the plane landed, she followed me off the plane, excitedly talking about where she was heading next. I sort of tuned her out, focusing on heading to where I needed to go. 

“Heading to baggage claim?” She asked, trying to keep up with me. She was several inches shorter than me and very clearly used to taking smaller steps. I considered slowing down, but continued at my brisk pace. I tended to walk fast, like something was stressing me out, which Angie kind of was. I shook my head, hoping maybe, just maybe she was and this was the end of Angie the Chatterbox. “Oh, me neither.” I sighed to myself and kept walking. 

The terminal at JFK was impossibly long. It felt like we had been walking from the gate for ages. It felt like we were on a journey that would never end. But we marched on, following signs for the exit and the pickup area. I realized, suddenly, that Angie had stopped speaking, that her cheery voice was no longer invading my ears. I glanced at her and noticed she was staring at me. 

“What?”

“That’s the first thing you’ve said in five hours,” Angie pointed out. “I think I expected you to sound different. Gruffer maybe.” I just hummed in response, fighting down an eye roll.  _ Not everyone sounds like Minnie Mouse _ , I wanted to say, but didn’t. After all, once we reached our final destinations, I’d never have to see her again. There was no reason to be rude. 

We reached the end of the terminal where all the pickups occurred. There were various people holding signs, some homemade, others simple whiteboards. I always wondered how the fancy car service companies made sure the person approaching them was the Elizabeth Green they were looking for and not an imposter. I didn’t have time to fully consider this notion as I spotted what I was looking for. Without so much as a goodbye to Angie, I walked over. 

The man was holding a sign that said Baldric Academy. He was wearing a black polo with the schools’ logo, two red swords crossed together, and track pants. He gave me a gruff nod and looked down at a folder in his other hand. 

“Name.”

“Melody Martin.” He nodded and then looked back up. I waited for him to start to leave, but he scanned the crowd. 

“Just waiting for one more student,” He began, as a sinking feeling hit me.  _ Oh no _ . “An Angela Webber.”

“Angela Webber, that’s me!” I turned as Angie approached, the widest grin I had ever seen on her face. “Can you believe this? My new friend from the plane and I are going to the same school? What are the odds?” I just looked at the man holding the sign because the overly cheery girl who woke me up on the plane was going to the same place I was and she had just determined we were friends. There was an odd irony, in that my mother assumed I wouldn’t make friends. And yet, here was Angie, who had already basically imprinted on me. 

“I’m Coach Baxter,” The man said, placing the sign on top of the folder in his hand. His voice, unlike mine as I suppose Angie was thinking, was gruff and gravelly, like he spent a fair amount of time yelling. “Gym teacher, soccer coach, and your ride to Baldric. Let’s move out.” He started walking and I followed behind him, Angie walking in step with me. 

“He was like totally in the army,” Angie said, staring at Coach Baxter’s back. “I mean, he had to be right? That buzz cut, ‘move out’. Next he’ll be calling us at attention.”

“You have a wild imagination.”

“It’s one of my best traits,” Angie said with a bright smile. I sighed and climbed onto a small bus that Coach Baxter had unlocked. He sat down in the driver’s seat and waited for Angie and I to get settled. I picked a seat in the middle, tossing my backpack in the space next to me. Angie looked around the very empty small bus, before finally choosing the seat across from mine. 

“Baldric Academy here we come!” Angie said excitedly. And I sighed, knowing she was going to talk to the whole ride there.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Transfer check-in,” Angie said, nodding towards a table. “You’re going into your sophomore year, right? Unless you’re a freshman and I’m still just horribly short.”
> 
> “Yes I’m a sophomore,” I said. “And you are tiny.”

“Oh wow.” The bus pulled up to a large estate essentially in the middle of nowhere. Angie had explained to me on the ride there that Baldric was smack dab in the middle of the Catskill Mountains, which apparently ran through a good part of New York State. She had decided to tell me this when she realized I knew very little about where we were going. I could tell, based on the confused look on her face, that she was surprised at how clueless I was. But I didn’t feel like explaining that going to Baldric wasn’t my choice. Just because Angie was big on sharing didn’t mean I was. 

The school was surrounded by a wrought iron gate. I wondered if the school was going for a medieval vibe with the gate and the swords. But as we passed through the gate, I realized that was far from the case. The building looked medieval in nature, but the architecture had clearly been built in the last thirty years. There was a main building surrounded by smaller buildings, the smaller buildings looking more like a school than the towering structure we were driving towards. 

“These are the dorms,” Angie said. “The dorms are all in the main building. Each floor is for one grade.”

“They can fit one grade on each floor?” I asked. Angie nodded. I didn’t have time to ponder that or how the school was either bigger on the inside or just had a small population, because the bus had come to a stop. I grabbed my bags and headed off the bus. Angie followed behind me, still chattering excitedly. Coach Baxter pointed us towards a tent where other people were milling around. I could see freshmen approaching excitedly with their parents. I pushed down the feeling bubbling up when I saw those parents hugging their kids or helping them carry their stuff. 

“Transfer check-in,” Angie said, nodding towards a table. “You’re going into your sophomore year, right? Unless you’re a freshman and I’m still just horribly short.”

“Yes I’m a sophomore,” I said. “And you are tiny.”

“Genetics.” I gave her a look and she smiled. I shook my head and led the way to the transfer table. A man was standing behind the table with a bright smile on his face. He was also wearing a Baldric polo and khaki pants. His hair was coiffed to perfection, puffing up at the top before folding over. His bright smile was accompanied by kind eyes and a strong jawline. 

“Welcome ladies,” He said, his voice smooth and tenor-like. “Welcome to Baldric Academy. Names?”

“Angela Webber,” Angie said, excitedly approaching the table. “Very, very happy to be here.” He chuckled and nodded, handing her a small envelope the size of her palm and a folder. 

“Well welcome Ms. Webber,” He said. “I’m Mr. Randall, the freshman and sophomore English teacher.” I tried not to raise an eyebrow at that. He certainly didn’t look old enough to be a teacher. In fact, he looked like he could still pass as a student. “And what’s your compatriot’s name?”

“Melody Martin.” He nodded and handed similar items that Angie had received. He was about to speak, but stopped, staring at something behind us. I turned around to see someone standing there. He was a tall, thin man, with graying hair that was perfectly combed back. He was also wearing a Baldric polo and suit pants that looked like they had been relentlessly beaten with an iron. He was the picture of perfection and excellence and he loomed over Angie and I. I swore Angie actually took a step back when he appeared. 

“Ms. Martin.” I raised an eyebrow, not sure who this looming figure was. “It is nice to finally put a face to the name.”

“Ladies, this is Headmaster Randall.” I glanced back at Mr. Randall because the similar name couldn’t have been a coincidence. As I glanced between the two, I realized it wasn’t. My soon-to-be English teacher was also the Headmaster’s son. I glanced back at the Headmaster, whose hands were clasped behind his back. 

I faintly remembered my father saying that he had spoken with someone by the name of Jefferson Randall about my attending Baldric. He had to do all the foot-work since going there wasn’t my idea. I wasn’t even sure how my father got me into a prestigious boarding school when I didn’t want to go. 

“I look forward to seeing what you are capable of Ms. Martin.” I didn’t say anything, didn’t let my face change. I stayed as blank and neutral as possible. I wasn’t planning on showing off or showing any huge capabilities. The headmaster, noticing my silent response, hummed, before walking away. 

“That’s the headmaster?” Angie asked, her voice smaller than I even thought possible. 

“He’s not that bad.” We both turned back to Mr. Randall. 

“You have to say that,” I pointed out. “He’s your dad.” Mr. Randall chuckled at that and shrugged. Other than the obvious resemblance of features, I didn’t see how the headmaster and my soon-to-be English teacher could be related. Five minutes around each and I could already see how different they were. 

“Anyways,” He said with that same bright smile. “The small envelope is your dorm keys. Sophomore dorms are on the second floor. The folder is your orientation schedule. I’ll see you both really soon. Good luck.” Angie, back to her normal self, smiled and nodded. I gave him a curt nod before heading inside the building. The building, maroon carpets with dark colored walls, was a cacophony of sounds. People were shouting and pointing in every direction. I looked at Angie who was staring all around with a wide-eyed gaze. She seemed to be mouthing wow over and over again. 

“Sophomore dorms upstairs and to the left!” Someone shouted. I headed towards the stairs, Angie trailing behind me. As we reached the second floor, the noises died down. It was clear to me then that transfer students weren't as common at the school. There were a few people milling around the floor, putting bags into rooms. But it was a lot quieter than the first floor. 

“What room are you in?” Angie asked. I glanced at the envelope in my hand. 

“238.”

“235!” Angie said excitedly. “We’re practically neighbors!” I didn’t say anything, but that didn’t wipe the smile off her face. “I’m going to go unpack. See you later!” She, and I kid you not, skipped off towards her room. I let out a long exhale, feeling like for the first time in hours that I could hear myself think. I noticed a mom hugging her daughter, the girl wrapping her arms tightly around her mom. I couldn’t help but stare at this mother, so willing to just hold onto her daughter, to shower her with love, to protect her no matter what. Jealousy, anger, a little bit of sadness tried to nuzzle it’s way through me, but I bit down on the inside of my cheek and turned the other way, in search of my room. 

When I reached the door to 238, it was already wide open. I stepped inside and looked around. I could see my belongings sitting on the floor by one twin bed. There was a closet and a vanity with shelves near the door. Above the bed was a shelf that ran from the closet to the window. There was a desk, matching the other wooden objects in the room and a chair whose cushions were the ugliest orange I had ever seen. 

Though my side of the room was barren and empty, the other side was the exact opposite. A mini-fridge with a television on top split the room exactly in half. The bed was somewhat made, though it looked more like someone had just haphazardly thrown the covers over the bed. The wall by the bed was covered in pictures and posters with quotes on them. And at the desk sat a girl. 

She was leaning back in the chair, one foot on the ground, the other rocking back and forth on the desk. Her hair was chopped in the back, while the front of her hair framed her face. There was a book in her hand and I could see her eyes actively scanning the page. Just as she was about to turn the page, she stopped and looked up. 

“You must be my roommate.” She dog-eared the page and tossed the book onto her desk. Her other foot came down and she got up. “I’m Kat.” I didn’t say anything and just nodded. “They didn’t tell me my roommate was a mute.”

“I’m not a mute,” I said with an eye roll. 

“So quiet then,” Kat said with a nod. I nodded because, no I wasn’t a big talker and didn’t plan on changing that now. “Well your stuff arrived yesterday. Coach Baxter dropped it off. And I do mean dropped, so I hope there was nothing valuable in there.” I didn’t respond and sat down on the bed, putting my bag down.

“Is it move-in day for everyone?” I asked, wanting to change the topic off of me and my belongings. Kat raised an eyebrow but shook her head. 

“Just the newbies,” Kat said. “But I’m an orientation leader so I got to move in three days ago. Orientation leaders and fall athletes move in early.” I nodded and stared at my stuff, knowing I had to unpack. “Need a hand?”

“Sure.” I started unpacking some of my clothes, hanging them up in the closet. Kat managed to find a bag with toiletries and set about putting them in the vanity, which opened to reveal a few shelves. We worked in silence, Kat humming to herself as I focused on hanging my clothes. I didn’t pack any of my stuff. I had just laid there as my mother tried to ask what I wanted to bring. I can still see her standing at my closet, imploring me to respond to her, that blank expression almost shifting to concern. 

Almost, but not enough for her to not ship me off to boarding school. 

“Hi!” I looked up from what I was doing to see Angie standing in the door. She saw Kat’s very decorated side of the room. “Wow.”

“Who’s the little blondie?” Kat asked, nodding towards Angie. She glanced Angie up and down and Angie just waved, a smile on her face. 

“Angie, Kat,” I said, hanging another item in the closet. 

“We met on the plane,” Angie said. “Instant friends and all.” Kat raised an eyebrow at that, but an amused smirk crossed her face. I could tell she was wondering how I could have made a friend with my limited interest in speaking. I noticed that Angie had changed into a white T-shirt that had the Baldric logo on the right upper side. I frowned immediately as I noticed Kat was wearing a black shirt with the school logo. 

“Please tell me I don’t have to wear that,” I said. Kat chuckled and my frown only grew. 

“Sure do newbie,” Kat said, walking over to the desk. She tossed it to me. I grimaced and stared at it. Kat just chuckled and shook her head. She then headed over to her desk and grabbed her phone and her keys. “Orientation starts in twenty minutes. Later newbies.” Kat left the room and I sighed. 

“I did not sign up for this,” I said eyeing the shirt in my hand like it was going to burn. 

“It’s not that bad,” Angie offered. I gave her an ‘are you kidding me’ look and she shrugged. “Okay it’s a polo and polos are such an awful fashion choice. But like we’re here! Baldric is amazing and I just can’t even believe we’re lucky enough to go here.” 

“Can you,” I started, pointing at the door. Angie nodded and then stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. As soon as she was gone, I gulped. It was clear that Baldric was Angie’s freaking dream school. She hadn’t stopped talking about it the whole day. Had I taken someone else’s spot? Was there some teenager somewhere who wanted to be at Baldric as badly as Angie? And how exactly had I gotten in? I was an average student at best and the subject I excelled at, I hated now. I used to have journals full of writings. Now, I could barely put pen to paper. Not since…

I shook my head and quickly switched my shirt for the offending polo in my hand. I sighed and threw my original shirt down before grabbing a few things from my desk. I didn’t dare look in the mirror because I did not, in any shape or form, want to see what I looked like in that horrible thing. So I flicked the lights off and exited the room. 

“Ready?” Angie asked, a bright smile on her face. 

“I’m sure you are,” I said, closing the door behind me. 

“Sure am!” For most people, I’m sure her excitement might’ve been contagious. But I wasn’t most people. “Come on!” I sighed to myself and followed her, wondering what I was about to get myself into. 

* * *

The auditorium was crowded with people. Angie and I had followed a group of people from the dorms to the building on the left side of campus. They had all been chatting excitedly. I had listened to Angie yammer on about the school and classes and whatever else Baldric-centric topics she could think of. Angie found two seats and we sat down. 

The auditorium looked like any you’d find in a high school. Most of the seats were on the first floor, all covered in some sort of attempt at red velvet. There was a balcony and if I craned my neck, I could see it. It looked similar to where I was sitting, but there was a booth in the middle. I could see a few people in the booth, but it was darker on the balcony. I turned away and continued scouring the room. 

The stage was, obviously, in the center of the room. There was a podium with a microphone center stage. Behind the podium was a line of chairs. I spotted Kat talking with another group of students, all wearing the same black polo she was. On the other side of the stage sat Mr. Randall and another teacher, who had paired her black polo with a navy blue skirt and heels. She also had the tightest bun I had ever seen. I wondered if she was attempting to be the Headmaster’s favorite teacher, which seemed difficult as she was sitting next to his actual son. 

Headmaster Randall walked onto the stage and the whole room grew quiet. It was intriguing how everyone knew just to respect him. Maybe it was the way he held himself; standing as tall as the trees, a quiet but fierce strength about him. His hands were once again clasped behind his back. He strolled to the podium as Kat and the rest of the orientation leaders took a seat. 

“Good afternoon,” Headmaster Randall said, his voice clear and pristine. Somehow, his voice sounded deeper than my soon-to-be English teacher. Or maybe that was just part of his presence. “I would like to welcome you all to Baldric Academy. Baldric has a long history of being home to excellence. Over the next four years, you will have the opportunity to succeed in academics, sports, and extracurriculars. But that opportunity only comes to those who are ready to take it. At Baldric, students are expected to reach and beat excellence as often as possible. I implore you to take advantage of every opportunity presented to you here at Baldric, because if you don’t someone else will. I wish you all the best of luck.”

I fought down an eye roll at how pretentious he sounded. Then I remembered I was at a boarding school. I was probably surrounded by pretentious kids left and right, kids whose parents could afford the ridiculously high tuition. I glanced at Angie wondering if she was like those kids. Was she a trust fund baby who would push me down to improve her chances. She looked harmless, but didn’t everyone?

“Thank you Headmaster Randall.” The female teacher who had been sitting next to Mr. Randall had gone to the podium. He nodded and then left the stage. “Welcome again to Baldric Academy. I am Ms. Pierce, the freshman and sophomore math teacher. I’m joined by Mr. Randall, freshman and sophomore english teacher and also my co-advisor to the student orientation leaders. These students will help you all get acclimated to your new home and help you prepare you for when the school year begins. Now, I’d like to ask one of our student orientation leaders to come up and speak.” Ms. Pierce took a step back. 

I noticed the group of students all look around. One of them, a taller male smirked and looked at Kat. Everyone else’s eyes fell on Kat as well and she chuckled to herself. I noticed Ms. Pierce tense up as Kat stood up. She eyed Kat with a stern look, but Kat didn’t seem to notice. She reached the podium, a confident smirk on her face. 

“What’s up newbies?” The orientation leaders all laughed, making everyone else in the auditorium feel comfortable enough to laugh as well. Angie had a grin on her face and I just crossed my arms over my chest. “So yeah, welcome to Baldric Academy. Who’s ready to be oriented?” There was polite applause and Kat rolled her eyes. “Oh come on. You’re at Baldric now. Who’s ready?” That seemed to lighten the mood up and everyone started to cheer and whoop. Angie cheered excitedly and clapped her hands together. Somehow, Kat managed to find me in the audience and gave me a look. I threw my hands up in mock excitement and she chuckled. 

“Okay cool,” Kat said. “Now, if all the freshmen could please follow Ms. Pierce and the freshmen orientation leaders out the left side of the auditorium, we can get started.” Ms. Pierce walked past Kat, a frustrated look on her face as most of the orientation leaders headed off the stage and led students out of the auditorium. Once they were gone, there were about fifteen of us left in the auditorium. “The rest of you are with us. Let’s go.” 

* * *

“Nice speech,” I said as Kat approached Angie and I. She started walking down the hallway, most of the group ahead of us.

“Well I’m sophomore class vice president,” Kat said with a shrug. “So I’m good with crowds.”

“Who’s the class president?” Angie asked. “Are they not an orientation leader?” Kat snorted and shook her head. She nodded to the front of the group. A tall guy was standing at the doorway of a classroom, holding it open. His tendrils of chestnut colored hair curled slightly into themselves as he used his free hand to brush some back into place. He smiled at a few people as they passed and a few of the girls giggled. I supposed that some people would’ve found him attractive. His polite smile turned to a smirk. 

“Kat,” He said, his voice warm like honey. “I think Ms. Pierce was expecting something more polished for the speaker.”

“Well then you guys shouldn’t have selected me,” Kat said. “And when it comes to Pierce, I’m polish remover baby.” He chuckled and nodded, holding his hand out to let us enter. Kat then sat down on the desk in the front of the room where Mr. Randall was standing. 

“Please get off my desk Katherine,” He said, giving her what was probably supposed to be a stern look. Angie sat in a seat in the front row, smiling eagerly. I sighed and took the seat behind her. 

“Fine Mr. Randall,” Kat said, scooting off the desk. “But only because I hate it when anyone calls me Katherine.” The guy who held the door open closed it and approached the front of the room. As he stood there, I realized he had striking similarities to my soon-to-be-English teacher. 

“Hey everyone,” He said, smiling. “I’m Lincoln. I’m the sophomore class president and one of the transfer student orientation leaders. We’re here to help you all and answer questions you have.”

“But first,” Kat said. “You have to tell us all your dirty secrets.” 

“And by that,” Lincoln said, bumping his arm into Kat’s shoulder, which she smirked at. “We just want to get to know you guys. I’ll go first. I’m Lincoln Randall.” Everyone seemed to straighten up at that. I looked closely at him. Yes, he had to be the Headmaster’s son as well. He didn’t look exactly like the other two, the shape of his face was different and his eyes were blue, unlike his brother’s and dad’s which both seemed to be darker. “Yes, the Headmaster is my dad.”

“And the English teacher is your brother,” Kat pointed out. 

“But other than that,” Lincoln continued. “I’m also the manager of the soccer team and I really like sailing. Kat?”

“Sup,” Kat said, earning a chuckle from most people in the room. Lincoln seemed to find her hilarious. There was an ease between the two, between their banter and the comfort they had with bumping each other’s shoulders. I wondered if everyone could find someone to be like that around, or if friendship had become so foreign to me that I found their ease around each other odd. “I’m Kat, not Katherine, unless you have a death wish or give me a grade.” Mr. Randall shook his head at that, but a smile played on his lips. “Love reading, hate math, and I’m stoked to be allowed off campus this year”

“We’re mentioning that later,” Lincoln reminded her and Kat playfully rolled her eyes. “Alright, who’s next?” Angie’s hand, unsurprisingly, shot into the air. “Sure, right up front.”

“I’m Angela Webber, but I go by Angie,” She said with what I could only assume was a smile on her face. “I love the color blue, I used to be on my school’s pep squad, and I’m just very, very, very excited to be here.” Lincoln nodded, a smile on his face. 

“Well thank you Angie,” He said. “How about we just keep going?” He looked directly at me. “Kat’s roommate, right?” I nodded. “How about you go next?”

“Melody Martin,” I said. “I like music.” The room grew quiet as I said nothing else. Lincoln waited, as if expecting me to say more. When I just stared back at him with a blank expression, Kat shook his arm. 

“Right,” Lincoln said, a slightly confused look on his face. “Who’s next?” People continued to introduce themselves, but I stared at the desk in front of me. There was a long scratch mark from a pen. I ran my nail across it, wondering when this inane process was going to be over. I felt someone watching me and looked up. Lincoln’s eyes were like a scientist, studying me. I raised an eyebrow at that and he quickly looked away. I shook my head, wondering exactly his deal was and how I could get him to leave me alone.

I certainly wasn’t looking to make any close friendships while there. I planned to be as invisible as possible.

* * *

Later that evening, I laid on my bed, music filling my ears. After everyone had introduced themselves, Lincoln and Kat had explained how the rest of orientation was going to go. I couldn’t help but notice Lincoln kept glancing at me, but I chose to ignore it rather than acknowledge it. Then, we had all gone to dinner in the dining hall before being dismissed for the evening. As soon as I had gotten back to my room, I had plugged my headphones into my phone and tuned the world out. Baldric orientation was already exhausting and we had another day of it. I sighed letting my eyes close, hoping I could just fade in and out of focus until it was an appropriate time to go to sleep. 

Luck, however, was not on my side.

I jolted up as I felt something touch my foot. I looked around the room wildly, before spotting Kat. She was laughing, a clearly entertained look on her face. I took the headphones out and just stared at Kat. 

“Oh man that was too much fun,” Kat said, smirking at her own joke. 

“Do you need something?” I asked with an exasperated sigh. Kat nodded towards the door where Angie was standing. She just waved a little before folding her hands in front of her. 

“We’re going down to the soccer field,” Kat said. “Thought you might want to come along.” I sighed to myself. I didn’t want to go. I wanted to be left alone

“It’ll be fun,” Angie offered. She smiled and I sighed before getting up. “Yay!” I pulled my shoes on as Angie talked about dinner and how she really loved it. As we exited the room, I noticed Lincoln waiting in the hallway. 

“Oh hey,” Lincoln said with a smile. “Didn’t know you’d be joining us.”

“I convinced her,” Angie said with a smile. “Plane buddies have to stick together and all.” Lincoln raised an eyebrow at that and I just shrugged. 

“Well alright then.” He led the way down the stairs and through the building. I hadn’t been paying attention to any of the hallways and knew eventually this was going to be an issue. But Angie still seemed to believe we were the best of friends, so I figured she could just direct me to wherever I was going. 

“Good evening students.” We all stopped as Headmaster Randall crossed in front of us. “Taking an evening stroll?”

“Headed to the field,” Kat said, a confidence to her voice that I had to admire. Everyone else seemed to turn into a wilting flower around the headmaster. But Kat held herself in a manner that said she wasn’t afraid of anyone. “Nothing in the rules against that.”

“Certainly not Ms. Wallace,” Headmaster Randall said, his hands folded behind his back. “I did hear about your speech today. I would have hoped that the Vice President of the sophomore class would remember the importance of decorum at Baldric.”

“I just wanted the new students to feel at home here,” Kat said, the confident smile not faltering for a moment.

“Well perhaps the class president should speak next time,” Headmaster Randall said, eyeing his own son. “Have a marvelous evening.” He walked away and Kat let out a sigh. Lincoln just placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“Your dad is so much sometimes,” Kat said and Lincoln sighed. I watched them closely, but realized Angie was too. “Alright, let’s go.” Kat continued walking and we followed until we made it outside. 

The soccer field was well lit by a less fancy version of stadium lights. There were about ten guys already running around the field, kicking a soccer ball around. One of them, a darker-skinned male, stopped when he saw our group. He shouted something to the others before jogging over. He was taller than Lincoln and built like an athlete. Sweat was shining off of his skin and he was a little out of breath.

“So you finally decided to join us?” He was speaking to Lincoln and Lincoln chuckled. 

“Had a few delays,” Lincoln said with a shrug. 

“And you brought my favorite trouble-maker!” Kat laughed at that, a smile crossing her face. “And some new friends. Gorgeous ones at that.” Angie blushed at his comment and I just rolled my eyes.

“Scott Brooks, this Melody and Angie,” Lincoln said. “They’re transfer students.”

“Melody's my new roommate,” Kat said. Scott looked me up and down and I just fixed him with a judgemental look. He chuckled and shrugged. 

“Well some of the guys and I are just kicking the ball around,” Scott said. “Feel free to join if you want.” He held his fist out and Lincoln bumped it with his fist, before Scott jogged away. 

“Don’t mind Scott,” Lincoln said. “He’s my roommate, captain of the soccer team, and the biggest flirt on campus.”

“Casanova’s got nothing on him,” Kat said and Lincoln laughed at that. I noticed that Angie was looking back and forth between Kat and Lincoln. I could almost see the question forming behind her eyes before she asked.

“Are you guys dating?”

“Me and Scott?” Kat asked. 

“No, you and Lincoln?” Kat made an odd sound at that and looked at Angie like she had four heads. I had to admit, the two were close, but not in a romantic way. Angie looked embarrassed that she had even dared to ask.

“I’m not really her type,” Lincoln said. An almost sad look crossed Kat’s face, chipping at her normally confident air. But as quick as it was there, it was gone again. 

“I’m going to go show the boys who’s boss,” Kat said. “Anyone care to join me?” I shook my head. “Little blondie?” That seemed to be Kat’s way of forgiving Angie for the question. Angie nodded and the two headed onto the soccer field. I noticed that Lincoln had stayed there, with me.

“Not joining them?” I asked, glancing over at him. He offered me a smile and shrugged. 

“Didn’t want to leave you alone.”

“I’m fine.” He looked at me and I looked away. I could feel his eyes on me, as if he was studying me. It was odd and I wasn’t a fan of it. “What?”

“There’s just something about you,” Lincoln said, shrugging again. I wondered if that was supposed to be charming, but then he jogged onto the field. I shook my head as I sat down on the grass. I had always been told that I was odd, but I was starting to feel like the most normal person at Baldric.

Lincoln glanced back at me from the field and offered me a smile. I kept my face neutral and he seemed to chuckle at that before going back to kicking the ball around. I thought about what my mother had said in the car, about how I was going to make friends acting as I did. But I didn’t really care. Baldric may have been the perfect place for Kat, Lincoln, Scott, and even Angie, but it was nothing more than a place-holder for me. I knew that my attitude was negative, but I just didn’t care. Caring got you hurt and I wasn’t looking to get hurt again. 

I pulled my headphones out of my pocket and pushed them into place, letting the music carry me away. 

**Author's Note:**

> [ Scream with me on my Tumblr?](https://doctornineandthreequarters.tumblr.com)


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